Scams promising free PS4 and Xbox One consoles are already taking on holiday shoppers

Above: Xbox One scam

Image Credit: Trend Micro

The Xbox One video game console launches in only a few hours, but beware: Online scammers are already targeting people looking for a new system this holiday season.

Any time a fancy new device comes out, or the holidays approach, criminals launch fake websites and even Facebook campaigns to lure hopeful shoppers into their scams. Security software company Trend Micro has discovered a number of “survey scams” specifically aimed at the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

These scams often start out as a Facebook page offering a free console, but only if you fill out a survey. It explains that the first step is to “Like” the page and share it with all of your friends. Then it asks you to go to a special website where a couple things can happen.

More often than not, there’s an actual survey that the scammers want you to fill out. In this case, they’re phishing for information about you like your name, date of birth, where you live, credit card number, and more. They can sell this type of information on a black market or use it to steal your identity.

The website may also be a malicious one, secretly downloading malware to your computer while you’re entertained by a fake survey.

In neither case do you end up with a free console.

So, always go by the rule that if it seems too good to be true, then it likely is. Be wary of “giveaways” during this season, and never enter personal information into a site you don’t fully trust.